"We have a few coming in next week from Backcountry Access," Davin said.

Saugstad isn't the first pro whose life was saved by an airbag or airpack. In January, professional snowboarder Meesh Hytner got caught in an avalanche in Colorado.

Hytner deployed an airbag that let her glide down the mountain atop the snow instead of being buried in the avalanche. The incident was caught on camera.

"The nice thing about having these inflatable backpacks, it gives you more buoyancy and allows you to float to the top and get out of the fray so you're on top of the slide," said Svein Berg at Berg's Ski Shop.

Berg said the airbags were designed about 10 years ago in Switzerland. They are relatively new in the United States.

"The big thing that's really kept them from really expanding very quickly is the price," Berg said.

An airbag will cost you anywhere from $700 to up around $1,200.

Berg said avalanche deaths are far more common in the backcountry than at ski resorts, so skiers who ride the lift probably won't need to invest in one.

"This traditionally has been for big, deeper, high mountain expeditions," he said, "and really for unique and out-of-bounds situations."

Pictures from our front porch of the Stout Fire from Sutherlin on the evening of July 30, 2015. Later in the evening after the moon rise, the effect of the smoke from the fires in Douglas County on the moon.